As a recap in our first blog about play, play may be the most often misunderstood term in early learning. The reason for it relates to its many different forms and misunderstood nature in itself. We adults, educators and parents alike, often think of play either as something fun and unrelated to learning or as something to be used to teach a child. In this blog, we try to explore the different forms of play and what happens during them to better understand and also appreciate them.
Play could be divided into two basic categories:
Free play. It is completely initiated by children and does not have specific objectives or a broader purpose. This type of play is innate for both children and adults. As humans, we have a natural tendency to play. In free play, children can engage in it naturally, without requiring guidance.
Play as a method of learning, or commonly called as learning through play. This type of play is what play-based learning is all about. While it can incorporate free play as one of its techniques, play-based learning typically involves more guided or structured activities with specific educational objectives.
In this blog, we learn more about play as a learning method and its forms in early childhood education setting!
The second category of Play is play-based learning or so we called, play as a method of learning. Play-based learning is a teaching method where various knowledge and skills are taught to children through play. The adult is primarily responsible for planning the goals. In this approach, play has mainly an 'instrumental value.' There can be several different types of play-based learning. Let’s take a look at some of them:
Examples of sensory play:
How is sensory play supported in our curricula at HEI Schools?
Our curricula provides practical lesson plans and activities to help educators incorporate sensory play into their teaching. For example:
These resources are designed to make sensory play both engaging and impactful, ensuring that children not only enjoy the activities but also benefit from meaningful learning experiences.
Parallel play is often observed in activities like:
This stage is crucial for fostering independence while subtly encouraging social awareness.
Parents often worry when they notice their child engaging in onlooker play, wondering, "Why isn't my child playing with others?" It's crucial to reassure them that this stage of play is a natural and valuable part of a child's development.
To support onlooker play, parents and educators can:
By understanding and supporting onlooker play, we can help children transition confidently into active participation.
For children aged 4–7, cooperative play often involves imaginative group activities, such as role-playing. This form of play is a natural and fundamental way for children to immerse themselves in pure, creative interaction.
Dramatic play allows children to step into different roles and act out various real-world scenarios. This type of play helps them understand their surroundings while building essential social and emotional skills. It fosters language development, empathy, and cooperation, making it a powerful tool for learning and growth.
We support dramatic play by providing educators with themed play scenarios, role-play prompts, and printable props to spark imagination. We also include guidance on setting up dramatic play areas, like pretend kitchens, doctor’s offices, or transportation hubs, using low-cost or repurposed materials. Educators receive tips on facilitating imaginative play while encouraging social interaction, language development, and problem-solving skills. By aligning these activities with developmental milestones, we want to ensure that dramatic play becomes a powerful tool for learning and creativity.
Examples: Activities such as climbing, running, dancing, or playing with balls are perfect for fostering physical play.
Our curricula provide educators with practical tools to encourage and enable physical play in children. These activities are designed to inspire movement, creativity, and fun while supporting physical development:
We provide a safe and stimulating environment where children can freely explore and create. Aditionally, our educators support children in their play by providing open-ended materials and encouraging them to think critically, communicate with others, and use their problem-solving skills. Here are some sample resources designed to help educators nurture constructive play:
Rule-based play involves activities with clear rules or guidelines, supporting cognitive development, self-regulation, and an understanding of structure. This type of play becomes more common as children grow older and develop the ability to comprehend and follow rules.
Our teachers facilitate these activities by actively encouraging children to follow the rules and guiding them to create the rules of their own. An example of a rule-based activity that requires no materials or equipment:
Examples include:
At HEI Schools, we believe that imaginative and narrative play is an essential part of a child's development. Our curriculum incorporates various activities and materials to support children in their imaginative play, allowing them to express themselves freely and creatively. Our teachers actively engage with the children during playtime, asking open-ended questions and encouraging language development through storytelling. Examples of activites we organize with HEI curriculum:
As you have seen from this article, the world of play is very rich and there are many different ways children play and also learn, as the natural by-product of the play. In the era of artificial intelligence, creativity and out-of-the box thinking are getting more and more valuable and needed skills. If you are still interested in getting deeper into the topic, HEI Schools Teacher Diploma course delves deeper into the Play and its role in learning.
Therefore, perhaps we adults as educators and parents should re-think the role of play in a child’s life and start appreciating especially the free play? By giving children time to play freely every day may be the best investment we make into their future.